Naruto's Not So Lonely Christmas
by BrandiAlyssa
Summary: Naruto's having a lonely Christmas...again. Can some presents and a friend help? NaruHina of course.


**A short and fast written NaruHina Christmas fic. **

* * *

Naruto sat alone in his small apartment and stared out the dark window. Snowflakes drifted past to join their friends on the ground. To his right hung a single stocking, the same one that had hung there every year. Next to it was a scraggly tree, nothing more than a branch.

_Alone again._ Naruto sighed and curled his legs up against him. _Will I always be alone?_ A tear slipped down the young man's cheek. _Twenty years alone, twenty Christmases alone. Will next year be the same?_ Naruto stood to go to bed when a knock sounded on his door. He opened it, curious, and found a small bright blue box at his doorstep. He read the note attached, _**Happy Christmas. Open in the morning.**_ Next to his tree and empty stocking it went and to bed he made for.

The morning was bright and cheerful, quite the opposite of the young man's mood. A small smile graced his face, however, when he remembered the gift left for him the night before. It was about time he learned what it was. When he emerged from his room, however, there was not one bright blue box, but many brightly wrapped gifts and a very full stocking. His tree had even changed to a small but full fresh tree decked out in the holiday spirit. His blue eyes were wide with shock; never had he been given so many gifts. As he stepped forward, a voice came from behind him.

"D-do you like it, N-Naruto-kun?" He turned to face the only one to talk like that. The young Hyugga heiress played with her fingers and stared at the floor.

"Why? Why did you do this, Hinata-chan?"

She looked up at him. "B-because… because no one s-should s-spend Christmas alone. E-especially not y-you, N-Naruto-kun."

A smile reached his eyes and face when he reached out to hug her. "I don't like it, Hinata-chan, I love it! Hinata?" Naruto pulled back to realize the poor girl had fainted in his arms. He picked her up and placed her on the couch and waited.

Hinata opened her pearl eyes sometime later and looked over to Naruto. He smiled at her softly and she saw the presents still unopened behind him. "W-why didn't you o-open your gifts?"

"Because, Hinata-chan, I want you to open them with me." Naruto pulled her toward the gifts and then to the floor. "Which should I open first?"

"T-that one," Hinata said, pointing to a rather large one.

Naruto stood and pulled the heavy box forward. "What's in here, a dog?" He tore off the wrapping and his friend giggled quietly. Inside was indeed a dog, a small brown and black one. With it was food, toys, and care stuff. "Wow! Who gave me this?" He searched the wrapping paper for a tag, simply signed, _**K & A**_. "Kiba and Akamaru?"

Hinata nodded. "S-so you'll never be alone again. W-what will you name her?"

He thought a minute as he held the puppy. "How about…Mana?"

"I-I like it."

Naruto put Mana in her kennel, where she curled up to sleep, and reached for another gift. Soon all the gifts were unwrapped except the original bright blue one. The small box had been hidden behind all of the other gifts. He didn't tear through this one as he had the others, sensing something different about it. Inside the box was a simple key and a note.

"_**So you may never be alone and know you always hold the key to my heart. A Shy Friend,**_" Naruto read the card aloud. "What does it mean?"

"M-maybe someone l-loves you a-and they are saying t-that you can always call on them because you—you have their love."

"Maybe." Naruto pocketed the key and looked around. "Will you help me clean up?" They began picking up the scattered wrapping paper and piling presents into one corner. Naruto looked over every once in a while to see how Hinata was doing. Once he saw a locket fall from her pocket. He picked it up, intending to hand it back when he saw a keyhole. He had taken his key in one hand and compared it to the lock. He had just inserted it to test it when Hinata looked up. When the locket clicked open, tears sprang to her eyes. He wasn't supposed to see that, not yet.

"H-Hinata? Did you give me the key? Do I hold the key to your heart?" He watched her nod as tears raced from her eyes. "Why do you cry? Do you regret giving it to me?"

"N-never; I've always loved you, but…" Hinata bolted for the door, but was caught in Naruto's arms. "Y-you could never feel the same! I-I don't de-deserve you. You deserve s-someone strong and courageous and-and kind; someone not me." She tried to break from him but was held tight.

"I think it is I who don't deserve you, Hinata-chan. You believed me when I didn't believe myself. I am lucky to be loved by a girl like you."

"R-really?" Hinata's eyes were wide.

"Really, now shouldn't you be getting home to your family?"

Hinata shook her head. "Neji-nii-san is covering for me. I can stay a while."

"Good." Naruto pulled her to the couch, where they curled up together. "Happy Christmas, Hina-chan; I'm glad you're here."

"Happy Christmas, Naru-kun. I'm glad to be here." Hinata giggled when Mana barked agreement before falling back asleep.


End file.
